Defiled!

[mindlight]

The Pharisees had a big thing about ritual purity and being set apart from the gentiles by the rules and traditions that they followed. It was a sort of passive-aggressive Jewish nationalism to distinguish themselves even from their conquerors in this way.

If you did not follow the rules you were defiled. You were defiled if you ingested the wrong foods if you touched a dead body or spent time in the company of tax collectors and sinners.

But Jesus said we are not defiled by what we take into ourselves but rather what comes out of ourselves. It is the verbal vomit and dirt we spread with what we do and say that is the problem.

So my question is this: How can I stop myself from speaking and doing rubbish and defiling myself by my actions and words? Indeed how can anyone do this?

If what comes out of my heart is the problem how do you purify your heart?

I am thinking there are a variety of reasons I say and do rubbish things.

1) Because I am in a group or a hierarchy that demands certain kinds of responses to certain kinds of stimuli. So if I am a paid assassin for example I need to stop killing people and leave the League of Assassins of which I am a member.

2) Because I have wounded or deceitful experiences that I have not navigated my way through. Meditation and prayer to debunk rubbish, gain healing and perspective, repent of sins, and seek wise ways through my past experiences into purer words and actions seem necessary.

3) Because I might be ignorant of key features of God's will. In which case I need to read the Bible, the creeds, and talk with some good wise Christians about what is missing.

4) Bad habits. It takes 66 days to cement new habits. But identifying bad ones, eliminating them, and then adopting good habits seems crucial here.

5) Much evil comes from willful decisions with a bitter or angry root to them. I need to guard my tongue and take a step back before rushing to react to things in the wrong spirit.

Maybe then I will no longer be defiled or leave stained memories of defilement on others when they think of me.

What do you think? Be careful how you say it!

 

[Root of Jesse]

Brother, we are all fallen humans, and we commit errors. Keep working at it. The best thing you can do is recognize your faults and try to control them. Ask God to help you with this. God sees the progress. And knows how we struggle.

 

[Mark Quayle]

The Pharisees had a big thing about ritual purity and being set apart from the gentiles by the rules and traditions that they followed. It was a sort of passive-aggressive Jewish nationalism to distinguish themselves even from their conquerors in this way.

If you did not follow the rules you were defiled. You were defiled if you ingested the wrong foods if you touched a dead body or spent time in the company of tax collectors and sinners.

But Jesus said we are not defiled by what we take into ourselves but rather what comes out of ourselves. It is the verbal vomit and dirt we spread with what we do and say that is the problem.

So my question is this: How can I stop myself from speaking and doing rubbish and defiling myself by my actions and words? Indeed how can anyone do this?

If what comes out of my heart is the problem how do you purify your heart?

I am thinking there are a variety of reasons I say and do rubbish things.

1) Because I am in a group or a hierarchy that demands certain kinds of responses to certain kinds of stimuli. So if I am a paid assassin for example I need to stop killing people and leave the League of Assassins of which I am a member.

2) Because I have wounded or deceitful experiences that I have not navigated my way through. Meditation and prayer to debunk rubbish, gain healing and perspective, repent of sins, and seek wise ways through my past experiences into purer words and actions seem necessary.

3) Because I might be ignorant of key features of God's will. In which case I need to read the Bible, the creeds, and talk with some good wise Christians about what is missing.

4) Bad habits. It takes 66 days to cement new habits. But identifying bad ones, eliminating them, and then adopting good habits seems crucial here.

5) Much evil comes from willful decisions with a bitter or angry root to them. I need to guard my tongue and take a step back before rushing to react to things in the wrong spirit.

Maybe then I will no longer be defiled or leave stained memories of defilement on others when they think of me.

What do you think? Be careful how you say it!

"Trash in, trash out"
"You are what you ingest"
"Word" is a strong thing in God's economy. "What you say becomes what you think."

6) Walk in the Spirit and you will not obey the desires of the flesh.

 

[Root of Jesse]

The Pharisees had a big thing about ritual purity and being set apart from the gentiles by the rules and traditions that they followed. It was a sort of passive-aggressive Jewish nationalism to distinguish themselves even from their conquerors in this way.

If you did not follow the rules you were defiled. You were defiled if you ingested the wrong foods if you touched a dead body or spent time in the company of tax collectors and sinners.

But Jesus said we are not defiled by what we take into ourselves but rather what comes out of ourselves. It is the verbal vomit and dirt we spread with what we do and say that is the problem.

So my question is this: How can I stop myself from speaking and doing rubbish and defiling myself by my actions and words? Indeed how can anyone do this?

If what comes out of my heart is the problem how do you purify your heart?

I am thinking there are a variety of reasons I say and do rubbish things.

1) Because I am in a group or a hierarchy that demands certain kinds of responses to certain kinds of stimuli. So if I am a paid assassin for example I need to stop killing people and leave the League of Assassins of which I am a member.

2) Because I have wounded or deceitful experiences that I have not navigated my way through. Meditation and prayer to debunk rubbish, gain healing and perspective, repent of sins, and seek wise ways through my past experiences into purer words and actions seem necessary.

3) Because I might be ignorant of key features of God's will. In which case I need to read the Bible, the creeds, and talk with some good wise Christians about what is missing.

4) Bad habits. It takes 66 days to cement new habits. But identifying bad ones, eliminating them, and then adopting good habits seems crucial here.

5) Much evil comes from willful decisions with a bitter or angry root to them. I need to guard my tongue and take a step back before rushing to react to things in the wrong spirit.

Maybe then I will no longer be defiled or leave stained memories of defilement on others when they think of me.

What do you think? Be careful how you say it!

deleted

 

[mindlight]

"Trash in, trash out"
"You are what you ingest"

That is the opposite of the point I was making and contradicts scripture:

Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. 20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him. Matthew 15

"Word" is a strong thing in God's economy. "What you say becomes what you think."

6) Walk in the Spirit and you will not obey the desires of the flesh.

This is more helpful.

 

[mindlight]

Brother, we are all fallen humans, and we commit errors. Keep working at it. The best thing you can do is recognize your faults and try to control them. Ask God to help you with this. God sees the progress. And knows how we struggle.

I am asking for a sermon on Matthew 15 which I have to preach. So it was more a theological question than a personal one. But thanks for the encouragement and the reminder that this is a word for everyone including the preacher.

 

[Mark Quayle]

Mark Quayle said: ↑
"Trash in, trash out"
"You are what you ingest"

That is the opposite of the point I was making and contradicts scripture:

Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. 20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him. Matthew 15

They are quotes, not from the Bible, but just sayings, to think about.

However, haven't you read other Biblical proscriptions against what you listen to, who you spend time with, the things you take into your mind, what disciplines you should observe concerning training your mind and heart?

This doesn't contradict the Scripture you quoted either. In a common way of teaching, both are to be considered. Furthermore, he was talking about what you take into your mouth, and contrasting it with what you say. He was not claiming it doesn't matter what perversions you focus on, as though you were immune.

Do you consider the two proverbs, one right after the other to be contradictions: "Answer a fool according to his folly..."; "Answer not a fool according to his folly..."? Of course not!

Mark Quayle said: ↑
"Word" is a strong thing in God's economy. "What you say becomes what you think."

6) Walk in the Spirit and you will not obey the desires of the flesh.

This is more helpful.

It was just another observation concerning how our words are important. #6 also applies, as far as disciplining oneself, concerning letting one's passions drive their mouth.

 

[bling]

The Pharisees had a big thing about ritual purity and being set apart from the gentiles by the rules and traditions that they followed. It was a sort of passive-aggressive Jewish nationalism to distinguish themselves even from their conquerors in this way.

If you did not follow the rules you were defiled. You were defiled if you ingested the wrong foods if you touched a dead body or spent time in the company of tax collectors and sinners.

But Jesus said we are not defiled by what we take into ourselves but rather what comes out of ourselves. It is the verbal vomit and dirt we spread with what we do and say that is the problem.

So my question is this: How can I stop myself from speaking and doing rubbish and defiling myself by my actions and words? Indeed how can anyone do this?

If what comes out of my heart is the problem how do you purify your heart?

I am thinking there are a variety of reasons I say and do rubbish things.

1) Because I am in a group or a hierarchy that demands certain kinds of responses to certain kinds of stimuli. So if I am a paid assassin for example I need to stop killing people and leave the League of Assassins of which I am a member.

2) Because I have wounded or deceitful experiences that I have not navigated my way through. Meditation and prayer to debunk rubbish, gain healing and perspective, repent of sins, and seek wise ways through my past experiences into purer words and actions seem necessary.

3) Because I might be ignorant of key features of God's will. In which case I need to read the Bible, the creeds, and talk with some good wise Christians about what is missing.

4) Bad habits. It takes 66 days to cement new habits. But identifying bad ones, eliminating them, and then adopting good habits seems crucial here.

5) Much evil comes from willful decisions with a bitter or angry root to them. I need to guard my tongue and take a step back before rushing to react to things in the wrong spirit.

Maybe then I will no longer be defiled or leave stained memories of defilement on others when they think of me.

What do you think? Be careful how you say it!

Keep your mind on what good thing I could say at this time to help others and you just will not have time to say the wrong thing.

 

[Clare73]

The Pharisees had a big thing about ritual purity and being set apart from the gentiles by the rules and traditions that they followed. It was a sort of passive-aggressive Jewish nationalism to distinguish themselves even from their conquerors in this way.

If you did not follow the rules you were defiled. You were defiled if you ingested the wrong foods if you touched a dead body or spent time in the company of tax collectors and sinners.

But Jesus said we are not defiled by what we take into ourselves but rather what comes out of ourselves. It is the verbal vomit and dirt we spread with what we do and say that is the problem.

So my question is this: How can I stop myself from speaking and doing rubbish and defiling myself by my actions and words? Indeed how can anyone do this?

If what comes out of my heart is the problem how do you purify your heart?

I am thinking there are a variety of reasons I say and do rubbish things.

1) Because I am in a group or a hierarchy that demands certain kinds of responses to certain kinds of stimuli. So if I am a paid assassin for example I need to stop killing people and leave the League of Assassins of which I am a member.

2) Because I have wounded or deceitful experiences that I have not navigated my way through. Meditation and prayer to debunk rubbish, gain healing and perspective, repent of sins, and seek wise ways through my past experiences into purer words and actions seem necessary.

3) Because I might be ignorant of key features of God's will. In which case I need to read the Bible, the creeds, and talk with some good wise Christians about what is missing.

4) Bad habits. It takes 66 days to cement new habits. But identifying bad ones, eliminating them, and then adopting good habits seems crucial here.

5) Much evil comes from willful decisions with a bitter or angry root to them. I need to guard my tongue and take a step back before rushing to react to things in the wrong spirit.

Maybe then I will no longer be defiled or leave stained memories of defilement on others when they think of me.
What do you think? Be careful how you say it!

First step is rebirth by the Holy Spirit.

Second step is a long-time study of the word of God written.

Third step is prayer.

Fourth step is obedience

 

[fhansen]

The Pharisees had a big thing about ritual purity and being set apart from the gentiles by the rules and traditions that they followed. It was a sort of passive-aggressive Jewish nationalism to distinguish themselves even from their conquerors in this way.

If you did not follow the rules you were defiled. You were defiled if you ingested the wrong foods if you touched a dead body or spent time in the company of tax collectors and sinners.

But Jesus said we are not defiled by what we take into ourselves but rather what comes out of ourselves. It is the verbal vomit and dirt we spread with what we do and say that is the problem.

So my question is this: How can I stop myself from speaking and doing rubbish and defiling myself by my actions and words? Indeed how can anyone do this?

If what comes out of my heart is the problem how do you purify your heart?

I am thinking there are a variety of reasons I say and do rubbish things.

1) Because I am in a group or a hierarchy that demands certain kinds of responses to certain kinds of stimuli. So if I am a paid assassin for example I need to stop killing people and leave the League of Assassins of which I am a member.

2) Because I have wounded or deceitful experiences that I have not navigated my way through. Meditation and prayer to debunk rubbish, gain healing and perspective, repent of sins, and seek wise ways through my past experiences into purer words and actions seem necessary.

3) Because I might be ignorant of key features of God's will. In which case I need to read the Bible, the creeds, and talk with some good wise Christians about what is missing.

4) Bad habits. It takes 66 days to cement new habits. But identifying bad ones, eliminating them, and then adopting good habits seems crucial here.

5) Much evil comes from willful decisions with a bitter or angry root to them. I need to guard my tongue and take a step back before rushing to react to things in the wrong spirit.

Maybe then I will no longer be defiled or leave stained memories of defilement on others when they think of me.

What do you think? Be careful how you say it!

The basis of our faith, of the New Covenant, is that we can do or accomplish with God what we cannot on our own. We don’t give up in pursuing righteousness, rather we strive upwards, putting to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit as per Rom 8:12-13. The bottom line:

“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
“With God all things are possible.” Matt 19:26
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.” Jer 31:33